Thieves prefer mini-vans, pickups and SUVs

Posted: Friday, November 17, 2000

By John BrooksCritical Communications

Thieves continue to prefer sport-utility-vehicles (SUVs), pickup trucks, and mini-vans, according to a new study conducted by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), a non-profit organization funded by the insurance industry. The study, which was based on 1.1 million motor vehicles reported stolen to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in 1999 by law enforcement agencies nationwide, found that nearly one-third of the top 50 most commonly stolen vehicles in 1999 were sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and mini-vans. As far as particular brands of vehicles were concerned, however, passenger cars took seven spots on the Thieves Top Ten list. NICB reported that the ten most commonly stolen vehicles in the United States in 1999 were:

"The study confirms the growing popularity of pickups, mini-vans and SUVs on a national basis among thieves," said Robert M. Bryant, president and chief executive officer, National Insurance Crime Bureau. "Vehicle thieves follow market trends and target the most popular vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts and illegal export to other countries."

He also pointed out that there are city-by-city differences in consumer vehicle preference that affect which vehicles are targeted by thieves in an individual metropolitan area. For example, American cars are more attractive to thieves in cities such as Chicago, while pickups are more frequently stolen in Dallas. In the Los Angeles area, thieves target Japanese models. Bryant warned, "People residing in or near port and border communities should take special care to protect their vehicles."

To help protect their vehicles, the NICB recommends that motorists ALWAYS remove the keys from the ignition and vehicle, lock the doors, close the windows, hide valuable items, park in well-lit areas and use a combination of anti-theft devices.

"Motorists driving theft-prone vehicles need to take additional steps such as installing a visible deterrent like a steering wheel lock, an alarm, a starter or fuel disabler and a tracking device, "Bryant said. "The more layers of protection on your vehicle, the more difficult it is to steal."

Another measure to help motorists protect their vehicle from theft is to permanently etch all glass/windows with the vehicle identification number (VIN). Etching the VIN on the vehicle's glass not only aids law enforcement and insurance agencies in the recovery and identification of stolen vehicles, it also takes profit away from the professional vehicle thief.

"Like any business, vehicle thieves are seeking to make a profit," said Bryant, "Permanently etching all glass on a vehicle with the VIN, takes profits from these criminals because they must replace the etched glass." For more information about the nation's most frequently stolen vehicles and vehicle theft prevention, visit http://www.nicb.org.

FORD STARTS ON $2 BILLION PLANT RENOVATION

Ford took the first stroke of its $2 billion remake of its historic Rouge complex, in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford plans to build a new vehicle assembly plant at the site. It will initially make the Ranger pickup but Ford plans to expand the site further. The facility will eventually build nine different models and three different vehicle platforms.

For now, the truck plant is the first all-new assembly plant to be built at the Rouge since it was first constructed, and the first anywhere by Ford in the U.S. in the past 25 years. Among the upgrades, Ford is covering the plant's roof with 454,000 square feet of sedum, a form of vegetation, to reduce storm water runoff and protect the roof from sudden temperature changes and ultraviolet radiation. Fuel cells will power part of the new plant's computer system.

The Rouge complex, where founder Henry Ford developed many of the principles of mass production starting in 1918, is Ford's largest industrial complex, with 600 acres and employs about 7,000 people.